Why did you choose this career?
Out of passion – and the need to work with my hands every day. Also because of my connection with clay, one of the noblest materials I know. I didn't know if ceramics was going to be a profitable profession, but luckily it has turned out well.
What are your most important skills?
I enjoy sculpture. I like to bring the textures, patterns and colours that I see in other places or objects into my pieces. Also, things that inspire me, like the cultural diversity of Barcelona or rocks and geological formations, for example.
© Mónica Bertolucci
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?
I express tradition in the techniques I have learned from my teachers. Innovation is the personal stamp I put on my pieces, what surrounds me today and my sources of inspiration. This is how I create my identity and my style.
What would you suggest to young artisans starting out?
Never stop learning, improving and getting to know the work of other artisans from the rest of the world. Practice a lot, respecting all the stages along the way. Ceramics, like personal and professional growth, has trials, errors, successes and disappointments. From these you will draw the most attractive thing, your own identity.